If there’s one sci-fi blockbuster from the previous few a long time that really deserves to thrive within the streaming period, it’s Prometheus. Directed by Ridley Scott, the 2012 epic grossed over $403 million worldwide (by way of Field Workplace Mojo). But regardless of that spectacular haul, its theatrical run was outlined by heated debate and sharply divided reactions.
Audiences and critics couldn’t fairly agree on what that they had simply seen. Was it a daring reinvention of the Alien mythos or a irritating near-miss weighed down by unanswered questions? That stress outlined the legacy of the film for years. Nonetheless, time has a manner of reshaping reputations, and streaming has given Prometheus the second lease of life it all the time deserved.
Now, greater than a decade later, Prometheus is experiencing a significant resurgence. On the time of writing (by way of FlixPatrol), it sits at #2 on Netflix globally (although within the US it stays on HBO Max). That sort of efficiency proves one thing essential: Ridley Scott tapped right into a sci-fi story that resonates far past a easy Alien prequel.
Prometheus Is One Of The Most Divisive Sci-Fi Motion pictures Of All Time
A Visually Daring Epic That Cut up Audiences Down The Center
At first look, the premise of Prometheus is a simple, albeit bold, sci-fi story. It follows a crew of scientists and explorers who journey throughout the galaxy in the hunt for humanity’s creators. Led by archaeologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Inexperienced), and funded by Peter Weyland (Man Pearce), the crew arrives on a distant moon with extra questions than solutions.
What they discover is each awe-inspiring and horrifying. It’s additionally right here that Prometheus distinguishes itself from different sci-fi motion pictures about intrepid house explorers. The movie blends existential philosophy with physique horror, cosmic thriller, and franchise DNA. For a lot of viewers, that ambition was exhilarating. For others, it was maddening.
The reward was loud and deserved in lots of respects. Visually, Prometheus is gorgeous. From the cavernous Engineer constructions to its sterile spacecraft interiors, Scott’s path delivers scale and environment that few fashionable sci-fi movies can match. The philosophical undercurrent, asking who created humanity and why, provides the movie a weight that elevates it past sci-fi monster-movie expectations.
What’s extra, Michael Fassbender’s efficiency as David stands out to such a level that it warrants singling out for particular person reward. His android is unsettling, curious, and quietly menacing. Fassbender provides David layers of intrigue that reward repeat viewings of Prometheus, turning him into one of many Alien franchise’s most compelling figures.
Nonetheless, criticisms of Prometheus had been equally persistent. Plot holes, questionable character choices, and ambiguous ties to the bigger Alien universe annoyed many viewers. Some anticipated a direct prequel; as an alternative, they acquired one thing extra summary. Even so, the $403 million world field workplace proved that curiosity was robust. Plus, its sustained streaming recognition nearly 15 years later suggests that point has softened even its harshest critiques.
Why Prometheus Continues To Be So Standard
Its Scale, Thriller, And Performances Make It Excellent For Streaming
Regardless of its divisive reception in 2012, Prometheus has develop into a reliable streaming performer at any time when it lands on a platform. Its present #2 world place on Netflix is way from an remoted spike. Over time, it has repeatedly drawn in viewers who might have skipped it theatrically or who need to reassess it with recent eyes.
A part of that endurance comes all the way down to spectacle. The visuals in Prometheus stay putting even in in the present day’s CGI-heavy panorama. On the high-definition screens of in the present day, its sweeping alien vistas and detailed manufacturing design really feel immersive. Streaming within the 2020s permits audiences to revisit the jaw-dropping sights of Scott’s film from the consolation of their dwelling rooms with cinema-grade high quality.
Outdoors of the polished aesthetics, the slow-burn dread of Prometheus additionally interprets completely to at-home viewing. Ridley Scott builds stress patiently, letting unease settle earlier than unleashing bursts of horror. The environment is thick, deliberate, and absorbing. That tone makes it straightforward to sink into for 2 hours.
Then there’s the movie’s enigmatic nature. Prometheus doesn’t hand over clear solutions. As a substitute, it invitations interpretation. That ambiguity makes it endlessly discussable and extremely rewatchable. Viewers return to parse clues, rethink motivations, and rethink the Engineers’ intentions.
This newest surge of streaming recognition for Prometheus can be in all probability partly fueled by renewed franchise curiosity. The success of Alien: Romulus, Alien: Earth, and even Predator: Badlands, which incorporates a Weyland-Yutani artificial at its heart, have pushed followers again to Scott’s bold prequel.
Ridley Scott By no means Concluded His Alien Prequel Saga
The Story Prometheus Started Was By no means Absolutely Completed
The actual tragedy of Prometheus isn’t that it divided audiences. It’s that it started a narrative that was by no means allowed to correctly conclude. Ridley Scott returned to this narrative with Alien: Covenant in 2017, deepening the connection between Shaw’s journey and the established Alien mythology.
Alien: Covenant pushed David’s arc into darker territory and tied the prequel saga extra explicitly to the origins of the Xenomorph. The movie’s ending clearly arrange a 3rd installment. The items had been in place for a closing chapter that would bridge the hole totally.
Sadly, that chapter by no means materialized. The Alien franchise shifted path, exploring new inventive avenues just like the story that grew to become 2024’s Alien: Romulus, whereas Scott moved on to tasks like Napoleon and Gladiator II. The prequel storyline was left suspended, its greatest questions unresolved.
Nonetheless, the door is just not fully closed. Chatting with The Guardian, Ridley Scott made his place on a return to the Alien franchise to finish his trilogy clear:
“One other Alien prequel – yeah, if I get an concept, for positive.”
It’s will not be a affirmation that the story will get the conclusion it wants, however it’s nonetheless a spark of hope. As Prometheus continues to thrive on streaming and attract new generations of sci-fi followers, that spark feels more and more important. Its ongoing recognition proves the urge for food continues to be there. Plus, if the fitting concept emerges, Ridley Scott’s cosmic saga might but discover the ending it deserves.
- Launch Date
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June 8, 2012
- Runtime
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124 minutes
- Writers
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Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof, Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon
- Producers
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David Giler, Walter Hill